Self-operating traction system

ABSTRACT

A self-operating traction system is disclosed. The system includes a supporting mechanism which is positioned above an orthopedic traction apparatus to support a lifting pulley above a traction weight. The supporting mechanism also supports a control pulley and a tie cleat within arms reach of a patient. A disabling cord rides on the lifting pulley and the control pulley, and is operatively attached to the traction weight. The patient pulls on the disabling cord to temporarily disable the traction weight and secures the disabling cord to the tie cleat to permanently disable the traction weight. The supporting mechanism has several structural features which permit it to be used for a variety of orthopedic traction applications.

Mason Oct. 24, 1972 [54] SELF-OPERATING TRACTION SYSTEM [72] Inventor: Virginia S. Mason, 42 Westover Street, Hampton, Va. 23369 [22] Filed: Sept. 16, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 72,608

[52] US. Cl ..128/75 [51] Int. Cl. ..A 6lh 1/02 Hotas 128/75 Brooks ..128/94 UX Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-J. Yasko Attorney-Griffin, Branigan and Kindness 57 ABSTRACT A self-operating traction system is disclosed. The

system includes a supporting mechanism which is positioned above an orthopedic traction apparatus tosupport a lifting pulley above a traction weight. The supporting mechanism also supports a control pulley and a tie cleat within arms reach of a patient. A disabling cord rides on the lifting pulley and the control pulley, and is operatively attached to the traction weight. The patient pulls on the disabling cord to temporarily disable the traction weight and secures the disabling cord to the tie cleat to permanently disable the traction weight. The supporting mechanism has several struc tural features which permit it to be used for a variety of orthopedic traction applications.

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PAIENIIEI] um 24 I972 SHEET 2 [IF 2 "W IIIII INVENTOII VIRGINIA S. MASGI ATTORNEYS 1 SELF-OPERATING TRACTION SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the art of orthopedic traction apparatus and more particularly to a device which enables patients to get into and out of such apparatus unassisted.

Many orthopedic patients require frequent treatment with orthopedic traction apparatus. A typical example of such apparatus is a back support traction apparatus including a traction cord which, in this case, isattached to a patients legs and which extends from the patients legs over a stationary pulley to a traction weight. Downward force of the weight pulling on the traction cord is transferred by the traction cord to an outward force pulling on the patients legs. Such apparatus are used both in hospitals and in homes.

A significant difficulty with such traction weight" type traction apparatus is that it is difficult for patients to get into them and then apply the necessary traction without help from someone else; that is, a helper must normally lift the weight in order to relieve tension on the traction cord so that a patient can attach the cord to his legs. This difficulty is especially acute when an orthopedic patient lives at home alone and must frequently call upon a neighbor or a friend to help him utilize an orthopedic traction apparatus. Although nurses are available in hospitals to help patients get into and out of orthopedic traction apparatus, such frequent use of nurses makes treatment of patients more expensive.

Although orthopedic traction apparatus of the type described above arerelatively old, for example see U.S. Pat. No. 896,114, a 1908 patent to Jacobson, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,050,269, a 1936 patent to Brooks, a helper is still required to get into and out of such apparatus.

Some prior art patents describe orthopedic traction apparatus which are self operable (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,798,481 'to Matthews) however, most of these traction apparatus are not of the type which employ a weight to'create a traction force. Matthews, for example, describes a traction table in which a patient creates a traction force by using a crank. In many cases such traction apparatus are not as satisfactory as traction weight type traction apparatus.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an orthopedic traction system which enables a patient to, get into and out of a tractionweighftype traction apparatus without the aid of a helper.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a self-operating traction system which is inexpensive, and which can be added as an accessory to currently existing orthopedic frames such as hospital beds and tables.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the principles of this invention, a disabling cord extends from 'a traction apparatus to within arms reach of a patient. The disabling cord is guided and arranged by a disabling-cord guiding system so that the patient can temporarily disable the downward force of a traction weight by pulling on the disabling cord. The patient can permanently disable the force of the traction weight by pulling on the disabling cord and securing the disabling cord to a securing means which is located within arms reach of .the patient. By pulling on the disabling cord or by relaxing the disabling cord,

a patient can also control the force which is applied by the traction weight to the part of his body to which the traction cord is attached. The disabling-cord guiding system and the securing means are supported above a patient by a horizontal rigid member which has an adjustable length. Members of the disabling-cord guiding system (pulleys) can be adjusted along the horizontal rigid member as can the securing means. A lifting pulley is located above the traction weight.

BRIEFIDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention in a clear manner.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the traction weight disabling system of this invention mounted on a bed traction apparatus; and,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same traction weight disabling system shown in FIG. 1, however, arranged in a different configuration and with certain parts added.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a bed 11 which comprises a mattress 13, a headboard 15, a footboard 17 and a horizontal brace 19. The horizontal brace 19 extends between the headboard l5 and the footboard l7 and supports the mattress 13.

Mounted on the footboard I7 is a back traction apparatus which includes a L-shaped mounting bar 21. A traction cord 23 has a traction weight 25 attached to one end and an attachment means 27 attached to the other end. The attachment means 27 is used for attaching the traction cord 23 to a patients foot 29. Front and rear traction pulleys 31A and 31B are mounted on the L-shaped mounting bar 21 and the traction cord 23 rides on these two pulleys. The mounting bar 21 is attached directly to the footboard 17 by footboard mounting bolts 33.

In operation, the traction weight 25 pulls downwardly on the traction cord 23 and the traction cord 23, riding on the front and rear traction pulleys 31A and 31B, in turn, applies tension on a patients foot 29. Thus, the patients leg is pulled outwardly away from the patient.

It should be noted that the bed 11 and the back traction apparatus is not per se a part of this invention, and these apparatus are described here for the purpose of disclosing an environment in which this invention functions.

Also mounted on the bed 11 is a traction weight disabling system which is designated generally by numeral 35. The traction weight disabling system essentially comprises a rigid vertical headboard support 37, a rigid vertical footboard support 39, an expandable rigid horizontal support 41 a lifting pulley 43, a control pulley 45, a disabling cord 47 and a tie cleat 49.

The vertical headboard support 37 is mounted on the headboard 15 by headboard mounting bolts 51. In the preferred embodiment, the vertical headboard support 37 is about three inches wide and one inch thick; however, these specifications are not critical to this invention.

The vertical footboard support 39 is mounted on the footboard 17 by the footboard mounting bolts 33. Again, the vertical footboard support is about three inches wide and one inch thick; however, these specifications are not critical. A

The horizontal support 41 extends between upper ends of the vertical headboard support 37 and the vertical footboard support 39 and is attached thereto by hooks 53 which are inserted in slots (not shown) in the headboard and footboard supports and mated with horizontal support pins 55. This method of attachment is likewise not critical to the invention.

The horizontal support 41 is divided into a headboard portion 41A and a footboard portion 41B. The headboard portion 41A and the footboard portion 418 overlap one another at a central area and both portions are provided with elongated holes 57 at the overlap area. Adjusting bolts 58 are inserted through the holes 57 in both the headboard portion 41A and the footboard portion 418. The bolts 58 are tightened to clamp the two sections together and thereby form a rigid horizontal support 41 and are loosened to adjust the length of the horizontal support 41. Thus, the horizontal support 41 can be made to fit various size beds by loosening the tightening the wing nuts 59.

The control pulley 45 is attached directly to the horizontal support 41 by bolts 61. It can be seen in FIG. 1 that there are bolt-receiving'threaded bores 63 provided all along the horizontal support 41 so that the control pulley 45 can be positioned at various points along the horizontalsupport 41.

The lifting pulley 43 is located above the traction weight 25 and is held in position by a lifting pulley support 65. The lifting pulley support 65 is attached to the horizontal support by bolts 67.

Thedisabling cord 47 isattached to the traction cord 23 at a point 71 and extends over the lifting pulley 43, through guiding screw eyes 73, and over the control pulley '45 to a gripping loop 75. In an unillustrated embodiment, the disabling cord is attached directly to the traction weight 25 rather than to the disabling cord 47 at point 71; the important feature is that the disabling cord is operatively attached to the traction weight 25 either directly or through a portion of the traction cord 23.

The tie cleat 49 is affixed directly to the horizontal support 41. In the preferred embodiment, the tie cleat 49 is so constructed that it can be fastened to the horizontal support 41 by means of a threaded shaft 76 which is screwed into the bolt-receiving threaded bores 63. In an unillustrated embodiment, the tie cleat is longer than as shown in FIG. 1 so that it extends below the disabling cord 47 and has holes through which the disabling cord runs.

In operation, when a patient desires to get into the back traction apparatus shown in FIG. 1, he pulls on the loop 75 which, in turn, causes tension on the dispatient removes the gripping loop from the tie cleat 49 and slowly lowers the traction weight 25. When the traction weight has been lowered to a certain point, its force is transferred from the disabling cord 27 to the traction cord 23 until the disabling cord 47 is fully relaxed and the force of the traction weight 25 is applied to the traction cord 23. To get out of the traction apparatus described, this process is reversed. In this regard, a patient can also apply more or less tension to his legs by applying more or less tension to the disabling cord 47 with his arms.

As an example of the versitility of the traction weight disabling system shown in FIG. 1, the'same system is shown in FIG. 2 with various parts rearranged in order to provide neck or head traction for a patient. It can be seen in FIG. 2 that a patient is lying with his head toward the foot of the bed 11. The control pulley 45 is moved to the right from its FIG. 1 position and a second control pulley 45A is mounted on the horizontal support 41 over the shoulders of a patient 78. The tie cleat 49 is also moved to a new position which is within arms reach of the patient 78. In this configuration, the disabling cord 47 extends from the attachment point 71, over the lifting pulley 43, around the control pulley 45, over the second control pulley 45A, to the gripping loop 75. Thus, the control pulley 45 reverses the direction of the disabling cord 47 In this manner, the control pulleys and the tie cleat are arranged along the horizontal support 41 to desired-positions in order to meet various orthopedic traction functions while accommodating a constant length of the disabling cord 47.

Similarly, if it becomes necessary to move the traction weight mounting bar 21 to the headboard 15 in order to meet various other traction situations, the horizontal support 41 can be reversed so that the lifting pulley 43 is still supported above the traction weight 25 at the headboard end of the bed 11. (This configuration is not shown in the drawings).

The traction weight disabling system described herein enables a semi-incapacitated individual to care for himself utilizing commercially available traction apparatus without the assistance of other persons. This invention does not change or alter the basic function of commercially available traction apparatus but it does improve the operation of such apparatus by enabling patients to care for themselves. In many cases this invention minimizes or eliminates the services of nurses, family members or friends and provides therapeudic value in that a patient is encouraged by a sense of accomplishment by caring for himself. The disabling device described herein can be produced inexpensively and is adaptable for home use as well as for use with orthopedic frames which are manufactured for attachment to hospital beds.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, various means other than the elongated slots 57 can be used for making the horizontal support 41 expandable. Also, it should be remembered that the traction apparatus described herein is exemplary only of traction apparatus in general.

The embodiments of the invention in which exclusive property or privilege are claimed are defined as follows:

1. ln bed-type traction apparatus including beds for supporting patients in lying attitudes, traction cords with first and second ends, traction weights respectively attached to the first ends of said traction cords for causing downward forces to be exerted on said traction cords and patient attaching means respectively fixed to the second ends of said traction cords for attaching said traction cords to patients who are supported by said beds, an improvement comprising a portable traction disabling system which includes:

first and second vertical support means, said first vertical support means including means for selectively attaching and detaching said first vertical support means to, and from, the heads of said beds and said second vertical support means including means for selectively attaching, and detaching, said second vertical support means to and from, the feet of said beds;

a horizontal member having horizontal-member mounting means located at the ends thereof for selectively attaching and detaching said horizontal support member to and from upper ends of said first and second vertical support means;

a disabling cord means having first and second ends,

said disabling-cord means first end being attachable to said bed-type traction apparatus, for disabling said downward forces caused by said weights in response to counterforces being applied to said disabling cord means at said disabling cord second end; and,

a disabling cord guidance means mounted on said horizontal support for positioning said disabling cords second end within arms reach of patients whoare supported on said beds.

2. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said disabling cord guidance means comprises:

a lifting pulley means'attached to said horizontal 'member at a location which is approximately over said traction weights for guiding said disablingcord first end to said traction weight;

a control pulley means attached to said horizontal member at a location which is approximately over said patients shoulders for guiding said disablingcord second end to within arms reach of patients supported in said lying attitudes.

3. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said horizontal member is an elongated rigid member.

4. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said traction weight disabling system further comprises a tie cleat means attachable to said horizontal member at positions within arms reach of patients supported in said lying attitudes on said beds.

5. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the length of said horizontal member is adjustable.

6. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said control pulley includes an attachment means for selectively attaching said control pulley means to said horizontal member at a plurality of positions along saidhorizontalmember.

7. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said disabling cord guidance means further comprises guiding eyes which are supported on said horizontal member. 

1. In bed-type traction apparatus including beds for supporting patients in lying attitudes, traction cords with first and second ends, traction weights respectively attached to the first ends of said traction cords for causing downward forces to be exerted on said traction cords and patient attaching means respectively fixed to the second ends of said traction cords for attaching said traction cords to patients who are supported by said beds, an improvement comprising a portable traction disabling system which includes: first and second vertical support means, said first vertical support means including means for selectively attaching and detaching said first vertical support means to, and from, the heads of said beds and said second vertical support means including means for selectively attaching, and detaching, said second vertical support means to and from, the feet of said beds; a horizontal member having horizontal-member mounting means located at the ends thereof for selectively attaching and detaching said horizontal support member to and from upper ends of said first and second vertical support means; a disabling cord means having first and second ends, said disabling-cord means first end being attachable to said bedtype traction apparatus, for disabling said downward forces caused by said weights in responSe to counterforces being applied to said disabling cord means at said disabling cord second end; and, a disabling cord guidance means mounted on said horizontal support for positioning said disabling cord''s second end within arms reach of patients who are supported on said beds.
 2. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said disabling cord guidance means comprises: a lifting pulley means attached to said horizontal member at a location which is approximately over said traction weights for guiding said disabling-cord first end to said traction weight; a control pulley means attached to said horizontal member at a location which is approximately over said patient''s shoulders for guiding said disabling-cord second end to within arms reach of patients supported in said lying attitudes.
 3. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said horizontal member is an elongated rigid member.
 4. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said traction weight disabling system further comprises a tie cleat means attachable to said horizontal member at positions within arms reach of patients supported in said lying attitudes on said beds.
 5. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the length of said horizontal member is adjustable.
 6. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said control pulley includes an attachment means for selectively attaching said control pulley means to said horizontal member at a plurality of positions along said horizontal member.
 7. A traction weight disabling system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said disabling cord guidance means further comprises guiding eyes which are supported on said horizontal member. 